Car Review: 2013 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

By Clare Dear, National Post

Originally published: February 7, 2013

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Driving a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cargo van 3,200 kilometres in five days would seem to be enough of a challenge. Doing it in frigid temperatures on slick, icy roads from Edmonton to Alaska, however, really ups the ante. This was the daunting task posed in the Sprinter Arctic Drive challenge.

The question hanging over this frigid event is obvious: Why?

The answer, Mercedes-Benz national vans manager Miki Velemirovich explained, was to demonstrate how the automaker’s commercial vehicles are capable of tough duty in extreme conditions. Although Mercedes has been in the commercial vehicle business for more than 100 years, it has only been selling its Sprinter cargo, passenger and cab chassis models in Canada since 2010. Although Mercedes has already established a 13% share of the commercial van market in just two years, Mr. Velemirovich said research shows the growth is being hampered by an image issue — North American fleet buyers don’t have a true appreciation of the vehicles’ capabilities.

“The perception is that our trucks aren’t tough and rugged,” he said. Mr. Velemirovich is hoping this trek north through extreme cold, ice and snow will help change that.

After torturing nine Sprinters through some of the most demanding driving conditions I’ve ever encountered, it would seem Mercedes has some convincing material to alter that public perception.

When I turned over my short-wheelbase Sprinter 2500 cargo van in Anchorage to the next team, it had clocked 3,176 km without missing a beat. Much of that distance had been covered in frigid temperatures, which dropped to a low of -38C. It traversed over road surfaces that were mostly ice and littered with potholes and large frost heaves. There were no mechanical issues among the nine-van fleet, except for one flat tire along the route — a large spike that found its way into one of the Continental Cross Contact winter tires. The grip level of these tires was amazing. Even cruising at 120 kilometres an hour (and a few times up to 140 km/h) on glare ice, they grabbed the road.

All the vans on this trip — two short-wheelbase cargo vans, five long (4.3-metre) cargo vans and a pair of passenger models — were powered by Mercedes’ 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 BlueTEC diesel. This engine, which is shared with the ML, GL and R-Class SUVs, was impressively smooth and quiet, while its clean-diesel technology minimized any impact on the pristine northern environment, converting harmful nitrogen oxides into simply nitrogen and water.

The V6 pumps out 188 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, which was more than adequate power during this drive, albeit without a payload. Actually, I’m sure having some weight in the back (payload capacity is 2,866 kilograms while towing capacity is 3,402 kg) would have smoothed out the ride over the rough terrain.

The 3.0L diesel engine’s fuel consumption is listed at 13.8 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 9.4 on the highway.

The Sprinter is a work truck, and it fulfilled my expectations of one. The cargo area is readily accessible, either through the wide (best-in-class 182 x 130 centimetres) manual sliding side door or the twin swinging rear doors. The back doors are hinged at the edge of the truck, so the accessible area is almost as wide as the cargo area. Mr. Velemirovich said you can fit a Smart Fortwo through the opening. The height of the cargo van is generous (three roof heights are offered) making it ideal for walking around inside the cargo area, which has a total volume of nine to 17 cubic metres, depending on the van’s configuration (two wheelbases and three lengths are offered). The cargo van can also be fitted as a crew cab, with a second-row bench, boosting seating capacity to five. Configured as a passenger model, the Sprinter will accommodate up to a dozen people.

One feature that will be appreciated is the available auxiliary heater. It’s a furnace that burns diesel fuel — a concept not unlike the old butane Volkswagen heater. The Sprinter iteration, which consumes about 0.6 litres of fuel an hour, preheats the engine coolant before it enters the heater. The warmed fluid is also circulated through the engine cooling system, making cold starts easier. The best part about this unit is it can be programmed to fire up in advance of start-up. Before shutting down at night on our trip, the heater was set to kick in 45 minutes before the next day’s scheduled departure time. On those dark, frigid Arctic mornings, especially at -38C, there was no more comforting sound than hearing that unit working away. You can also engage the pre-heater as a booster while driving, which given the fact that diesel engines doesn’t generate the heat we’re used to from a gasoline engine, was a very welcomed feature here in the frozen North.

I don’t know if this Arctic expedition will change buyers’ perceptions of the Sprinter’s toughness, but it certainly demonstrated to me that these vans are rugged enough to cope with some of the harshest conditions on the planet.